2008 XS Cheapazchips 3D challenge

[G H Z]

Actually a fun contest needs less rules...if any at all

I will play, Gautam needs some competition

[SmaKKed]

Im iN i have a couple of 8400's and 2400's here so im keen

[2fink]

count me in!

[Micutzu]

I'm in and i think we should all use the same card. Not that we're copying the other guys, but the 8400GS is prefect for the purpose. 2k1 benching ?

[PPInDaHouse]

We dont need more rules, we need more information..

As someone already said we should use the same card

[Don_Dan]

At first we have to determine which card will be the chosen one to be tortured by us. And for benching, in my opinion we should use the benchmark that is most dependent on GPU-power ( that is 2k1, isn't it? ), and maybe limit the CPU-frequency to make it at least a bit comparable ( most users will use a Core2Duo I guess ).

Some thoughts:
1. CPU frequency fixed to ???? ( 3GHz?! )
2. dual cores and quads? different categories?
3. categories determinded by core temps of GPU ( as suggested by STEvil )

What do you guys think?

[PPInDaHouse]

At first we have to determine which card will be the chosen one to be tortured by us. And for benching, in my opinion we should use the benchmark that is most dependent on GPU-power ( that is 2k1, isn't it? ), and maybe limit the CPU-frequency to make it at least a bit comparable ( most users will use a Core2Duo I guess ).

Some thoughts:
1. CPU frequency fixed to ???? ( 3GHz?! )
2. dual cores and quads? different categories?
3. categories determinded by core temps of GPU ( as suggested by STEvil )

What do you guys think?

The most dependent on gpu power is 3D03, but 01 is more funny

I think 3Ghz is too low

[Don_Dan]

Okay, I have never seriously benched 3D so you can tell me whatever you want...


However, I would still stick to 3GHz so that many people can take part, as that will just make it more fun. But let's hear what others have to say regarding this.

[2fink]

i would rather make:

% overclock on core
% overclock on mem

best score below 3,5ghz, best score above

but i think fun should be on place one!

[[XC] DragonOrta]

I'm definitely in. Thought this was a great idea when you were talking about it in your Shed Thread.

[zakelwe]

Well I am glad there is some interest

Ok, first of all we all have to be benching the same card. It's a competition and based on the Orb so we will be seeing who can get the highest ORB score in the class. If that means that you would have to buy a new card then now is the time, if you cannot afford that, to fold gently and give more chance of winning .As per the classes I suggest all air cooled gpu and anything goes gpu with competions in 2001 and 03.

Secondly, I agree, we have already seen a recent nvidia 8400GS comp so other cards would be good. I suggest the Ati 2400Pro as it is widely available, cheap and is so bad it puts all the skill on the overclocking of the video card.

Other possibilities would be the nvidia 7100GS or 7300GS or similar. Any other suggestions?

Extra rule

3) MAX LOD = 0 and no third party software to reduce texture levels or MIP levels

Just so we are concentrating on the hardware side

Any suggestions on the card to use? Once we have got that then I will ask for a list of participants and we can sort out start date etc and other funky stuff and create a new offical thread and get rolling.

Regards

Andy

PS Sorry for the large size, just getting peoples attention.

PPS No Kingpin or Hipro or Lardarse or Kinc? Scaredy cats !

[zakelwe]

Guy's don't worry about cpu power too much, if the gpu or mem on the card is that bad then the cpu power will be wasted anyway.

We will run 03 anyway as well as 2001 so it will give any guy running a 486 DX33 with Dos 6.22 a good shot as well.

Regards

Andy

[G.Foyle]

Seeing as 7100GS is hardly available, 7200GS would be better choice.

[Viss]

Nice these cheap gpu contests are good fun! Zakelwe i understand this is XS and we believe that people wil play fair in such a friendly contest but i do think the extra rule wil make judging the scores more difficult. Why not allow all lod/mipmap etc tweaks?

[2fink]

i would rather like the 8400 or 8500 cards! ati-cards are not as easy to overclock!

[zakelwe]

Seeing as 7100GS is hardly available, 7200GS would be better choice.

I can't see 7200GS on the ORB so I left it out as I am not sure if it will not be represented at all or fall into another card table so cause confusion.

Regards

Andy

[zakelwe]

Nice these cheap gpu contests are good fun! Zakelwe i understand this is XS and we believe that people wil play fair in such a friendly contest but i do think the extra rule wil make judging the scores more difficult. Why not allow all lod/mipmap etc tweaks?

Good question and thoughts. The problem is that if you allow any sort of software optimisation then in theory a guy who just buys a standard card and then runs it with 3 blobs on the screen will perhaps win having done feck all.

On the otherhand if people want optimisations then rule 3 can be canned and we can probably still spot anything too extreme. The choice is up to the competitors.

My rules are very fluid, depending on the common concensus

Regards

Andy

[[XC] gomeler]

I don't think we should limit cooling as that'll limit how ridiculous we can get. I was hoping to see 2+ vgpu runs with 5+GHz CPUs. I know that's what I'll be doing, even if it doesn't count. If anything just run 2 classes, "Little School Girls" and "LN2:Breakfast of Champions".

[Ugly n Grey]

I like the rules as you have them Andy, keep the tweaks on the hardware side

I like the 2400 pro as the contest card because it's sub 50 bucks and if I do blow it all to heck, I honestly, truly do not care at all. I don't think that card can be "saved" by any CPU no matter how good so it makes sense too. Is replacing the mem on the card within the rules? lol

[[XC] Hicks121]

7300gs would be nice, as I have one

[Stapler]

I'm in, but I don't see a point to limiting software optimizations as we all have the same tools, atleast we should allow LOD tweaking. It just adds an extra level of depth to the contest.

[Gautam]

Extra rule

3) MAX LOD = 0 and no third party software to reduce texture levels or MIP levels

Just so we are concentrating on the hardware side

Regards

That's all just part of the game.

[zakelwe]

I don't think we should limit cooling as that'll limit how ridiculous we can get. I was hoping to see 2+ vgpu runs with 5+GHz CPUs. I know that's what I'll be doing, even if it doesn't count. If anything just run 2 classes, "Little School Girls" and "LN2:Breakfast of Champions".

I guess I am in the little school girls class

Sounds good. Two classes, Top fuel and Pro Street it is then ( to give them better names )

Top fuel class = Any cooling at all on all components.
Pro Stock Class = Air cooled only.

We could stretch the Pro Stock class to watercooling on cpu if somebody wishes to enter and would be excluded otherwise.

Regards

Andy

[zakelwe]

I see LOD tweaking is getting the thumbs up. Post here on what you think and I'll take the concensus in 12 hours time. This comp is for you to have fun and if you will have more fun using software tweaks then that's fine.

I know LOD etc splits opinion so we need to get this fixed before the final thread is put up and people start their engines.

Regards

Andy

[[XC] gomeler]

I'd say LOD tweaks should only be enabled if we do 3D01 as it is free and you can run the tests in any order, unlike 3D03 which requires a $20 license. So is it going to be the 8400GS or 2400Pro? I like the GS as it's a proven clocker